The Spanish IQFoil and Techno 293 Youth Cup gets off to a great start at Club Nàutic Sa Ràpita

The Club Nàutic Sa Ràpita (CNR) has kicked off this Tuesday the IQFoil and Techno 293 Youth Spanish Cup, which will last until Thursday 28th of March and is one of the most important dates in the club's sporting calendar, which has become the epicenter of national sailing on the eve of Easter.

More than 170 sailors from 8 autonomous communities have gathered at the CNR to compete over three days of competition in the waters south of Mallorca in the different categories sub17 and sub19 in IQFoil and sub13, sub15, sub17 and Techno Plus for the Techo 293 class. 

After Monday, dedicated to measurements, preparations and first contact with the facilities and the regatta course, in which the camaraderie among the sailors stood out, the races began on Tuesday, which were held in tough weather conditions, with a strong wind and two-meter waves. This has led to some very powerful and fast races that not all the participants have been able to withstand, so there have been up to ten boats that have been withdrawn. 

"In reality, the conditions were not as tough as we expected according to the forecast. The fleet behaved very well, you could tell they were really looking forward to sailing. Finally, the forecast came in, with a wind of 25 knots, but that was just as we were returning to port," says Inés Cabrer, race officer for the IQFoil class.

In total, 5 races were held in each of the IQFoil categories. As for Techno 293, there were 4 races in each of the categories. The forecast for the second day of racing predicts even tougher conditions, although the organizers have brought forward the timetable of the races to try to find a slot early in the day, until tomorrow to see exactly what the weather situation is. 

This championship, thoroughly prepared by the club thanks to the support of the Balearic Sailing Federation and different sailing clubs in Mallorca, which have provided inflatable boats and other materials to carry out the logistics and needs of the regattas, represents one of the initial steps of a very ambitious year at a sporting level. 2024 is a year of logistical and sporting challenges for the CNR, which is consolidating its position as a benchmark club in the field of dinghy sailing on a national and international scale. After successfully hosting the Balearic Islands Techno 293 and IQFOIL Championships a few weeks ago, this Spanish Championship serves the club as a logistical and organisational preparation for this year's big sporting event at the CNR: the IQFOIL Junior World Championship, which will be held from the 26th of October to the 2nd of November. On these dates, the club will host for the first time this competition, which will bring together some 400 sailors from 31 different countries for 6 days of racing.